Appeal board to tackle Erindi buffalo saga

AGRICULTURE minister John Mutorwa yesterday inaugurated a new appeal board to address the dispute between the ministry and the Erindi Game Reserve over buffalo farming.

In July, Erindi’s owners appealed a decision by chief veterinary officer Milton Maseke to deny them a permit to move buffaloes into an area proclaimed a ‘protected area’.

This was after the ministry’s efforts to fight the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in July this year.

Erindi wanted to buy buffaloes from the Waterberg National Park, which is operated by the environment ministry.

There are currently about 1 000 buffaloes at the park, which can apparently only hold 400, and this has resulted in overgrazing.

In August, the agriculture ministry denied Erindi a permit to relocate the buffaloes which Erindi wanted to buy from Waterberg, stating that commercial farming areas had been proclaimed ‘protected areas’ in 2013.

This was done to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth disease in the country.

Mutorwa said the board, although appointed as a result of Erindi’s appeal, was made up of qualified personnel and experts in animal health and related fields, and will carry out its tasks professionally.

Those appointed to the board are Vetumbuavi Uanivi as chairperson, Archie Norval, Albertina Shilongo, Alaster Samkange and Anja Boschoff.

“I have all the trust in your objective, honest and professional abilities, in which you shall execute your onerous national assignment strictly in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Animal Health Act of 2011, the Namibian Constitution, and government’s laws dealing with the country’s national economic and trade interests,” Mutorwa said.

He said some of the letters he had received from Erindi directed him to invoke the Animal Health Act and to appoint an appeal board to reverse Maseke’s decision, “because they were not satisfied with it”.

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.